Titans players turned away again at BSP

Titans guard Jake Scott might have lost his preferred workout location for the time being, but he hasn’t lost his sense of humor during the lockout mess. Scott showed up at Baptist Sports Park again on Thursday morning and was again turned away by Titans Executive Vice President Steve Underwood.

Scott, one of several players who stopped by this morning, was told he wasn’t allowed to use the weight room. The team’s NFLPA player rep noticed there was an armed security officer at the entrance to the parking lot, which wasn’t the case on Tuesday, he said.

The Titans, however, said security hasn’t been increased from earlier in the week. Inside the building, a barricade of portable lockers had been set up to prevent entry into the weight room. “I guess we pose a threat,” Scott said with a chuckle. “I guess they think we are going to storm the building or something.”

Still, Scott and other players couldn’t hide their frustration. On Wednesday night, U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson rejected the NFL’s request to put her order lifting the lockout on hold pending further appeals. The league has filed an appeal with the 8th U.S. Circuit Court.

As for his encounter with Underwood, Scott said: “He said the same thing (as Tuesday): you can come in the building, but nobody is around. Obviously there are people around because cars are in the parking lot. I asked directly today, ‘Steve can I use the facility today?’ He said ‘no.’ He said I flat out can’t use the weight room. So that is where we stand. I am headed to Vanderbilt right now to get my lift in.”

Tight end Jared Cook, defensive tackle Sen’Derrick Marks, safety Michael Griffin and quarterback Rusty Smith also stopped by on Thursday morning, some hoping to get a workout in or talk to coaches. After some of the players left, coaches began filing into the parking lot. It is believed many of them were scheduled to arrive later because of tonight’s draft.

“A lot of guys have other places to work out, but we want to work out at the facility,” Marks said. “Everybody knows the lockout was lifted, so we wanted to come over and get to work.”

Scott said he hopes there will be more clarity soon, but he anticipates seeing Underwood again Friday.

“The judge said in the ruling the lockout is over. It seems pretty clear to me but in the legal world, I guess not everything is clear,” Scott said. “It says in my contract my job is to get ready for the season and that is what I am trying to do. “We’d like to be able to work out at the facility, but apparently we’re not able to work out there as of now. We’ll just have to keep doing it. I plan to stop by every day I would work out – which is Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday — or until they get a stay or until they flat out tell me I can’t come on the property.”